The (blinding) lights of Baku

ita eng
18 January 2013

Capital of Azerbaijan and the centre of the country's extractive industry, Baku (especially downtown) is changing quickly, thanks to an influx of money that has come with the discovery and exploitation of new oil and gas fields in the Caspian Sea

The new face of the city centre, opulent and flamboyant on the outside but cold and artificial on the inside, becomes even more apparent at night when thousands of lights transform it into a kaleidoscope of light and colours. Yet such a radical, dazzling renewal is hiding quite a few shadows and has become a symbol not only of new wealth, measured in petrodollars, but also of the profound imbalances in Azerbaijani society. Photos and texts by Francesco Martino